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Suarez Deserved Ballon D'Or Spot, Not Penaldo

The final three-man shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or was announced today, with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo named as the contenders, but did the Portuguese forward do enough for his place on the podium?

Firstly, let's get this out of the way – Neymar and Messi definitely deserved their spots on the final three-man shortlist, but Ronaldo?

Of course, in 2015, Ronaldo has scored 48 goals for both club and country, the same as Messi, but the Portuguese star did not win any major silverware, while the Argentine, Neymar and Suarez all won the treble with Barcelona.

Along with his teammates, Suarez has lit up La Liga and Europe with his impressive displays for the Blaugrana, and unlike the "old Suarez", he has only made positive headlines.

Ronaldo, however, has come under heavy criticism this calendar year, with talk mounting that the 30-year-old could be on his way out of Real Madrid.

Of course, it's the people's vote that decides who is nominated, as well as who wins, so while it might not be technically correct, it is understandable that he is among the finalists due to his worldwide popularity.

Messi has been labelled the favourite for the title, but on 11 January we'll see who lifts the award, with the Argentine looking to pick up his fifth Ballon d’Or, and Ronaldo his fourth!